Transylvania occupies 100,293 square kilometres of central Romania, surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains on three sides. The name means “the land beyond the forest” and the forest is the first thing you notice: beech and oak in the lower valleys, spruce and fir on the higher slopes, covering 60 percent of the land. The region contains fortified Saxon churches, medieval castles, bear populations, and the most persistent vampire myth in popular culture. Transylvania is not a museum. It is a living region where shepherds still drive their flocks along Roman roads.
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Bran Castle: Dracula’s Fortress and the Tourism Machine
Bran Castle, 28 km southwest of Brasov, sits on a 60-metre-high rock in a narrow mountain pass. The castle was built in 1388 by the Saxons of Brasov as a fortress against the Ottoman Empire. Vlad Tepes, the historical figure who inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula, may have spent two months imprisoned here in 1462. The connection is thin. Stoker never visited Transylvania and described a castle that resembles no real building. Bran leaned into the Dracula connection in the 1970s and now receives 800,000 visitors a year. Inside, the rooms are furnished with 16th and 17th century pieces collected by Queen Marie of Romania, who lived here after 1920. The ticket price is 60 RON (roughly 12 euros).
The Fortified Saxon Churches
The Transylvanian Saxons, ethnic Germans invited to settle the region in the 12th century by King Geza II of Hungary, built over 300 fortified churches across the region. Seven are UNESCO World heritage sites. The church at Biertan, built between 1490 and 1524, is the largest of the fortified churches. The walls are 12 metres high and the church sits on a hilltop above the village. The church at Viscri, built in the 12th century and expanded in the 16th, was restored by the Mihai Eminescu Trust and popularised by Prince Charles, who owns a property in the village. The church at Prejmer, 18 km north of Brasov, is the strongest, with walls 5 metres thick and a defensive system of 272 rooms built into the inner wall. Entrance to each church is 10-15 RON.
The Carpathian Wildlife and the National Park
The Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania hold the largest population of brown bears in Europe outside Russia, estimated at between 6,000 and 8,000 individuals. Wolves, lynx, and wild boar also roam the forests. The Piatra Craiului National Park has 80 km of marked hiking trails, including the ridge walk at 2,238 metres, the highest point of the limestone ridge. The bear-viewing hides near Zarnesti offer evening observation sessions for 150 RON (30 euros), including a naturalist guide and transport from Brasov.
What image comes to mind when you hear “Transylvania” and did the real place match or overturn it?
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